Ireland must avoid humiliation, warns Stephen Ferris

Stephen Ferris has insisted that Ireland must do their utmost to avoid suffering a rout at the hands of New Zealand at Soldier Field on Saturday.

With the red-hot All Blacks aiming to extend their record-breaking 18-0 Test run, former international flanker Ferris is wary of a heavy defeat upsetting morale ahead of a return clash at Aviva Stadium in two weeks’ time.

Although the retired 31-year-old claimed that he does not anticipate a one-sided game, Ferris said: “I’ve always been in or around Irish squads when you believed you could win every match, but looking from the outside in now, I just can’t see Ireland winning this game.